A new hinge design on antigua like device

Abstract

A display tilting apparatus ( 300 ) may include a spindle ( 310 ), a middle bearing ( 312 ) mounted on the spindle ( 310 ) and coupled to a moving bracket ( 304 ), a pair of damping thrust bearings ( 314 ) mounted on the spindle ( 310 ) and coupled to a fixed bracket ( 306 ), and a ratchet-pawl assembly ( 316 ) mounted on the spindle ( 310 ) and coupled to the moving bracket ( 304 ). The ratchet-pawl assembly ( 316 ) may cause the spindle ( 310 ) and the middle bearing ( 312 ) to rotate with the moving bracket ( 304 ) during pivoting of the moving bracket ( 304 ) to a first direction ( 320 ) such that the pair of damping thrust bearings ( 314 ) may provide a first frictional force to the moving bracket ( 304 ) in the first direction ( 320 ). Further, the middle bearing ( 312 ) may provide a second frictional force to the moving bracket ( 304 ) during pivoting of the moving bracket ( 304 ) to a second direction ( 322 ) that is opposite to the first direction ( 320 ).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A display tilting apparatus comprising:
 a spindle;   a middle bearing mounted on the spindle and coupled to a moving bracket;   a pair of damping thrust bearings mounted on the spindle and coupled to a fixed bracket; and   a ratchet-pawl assembly mounted on the spindle and coupled to the moving bracket, wherein the ratchet-pawl assembly is to cause the spindle and the middle bearing to rotate with the moving bracket during pivoting of the moving bracket to a first direction, wherein the pair of damping thrust bearings are to provide a first frictional force to the moving bracket in the first direction, and wherein the middle bearing is to provide a second frictional force to the moving bracket during pivoting of the moving bracket to a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.   
     
     
         2 . The display tilting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ratchet-pawl assembly comprises:
 a pair of ratchet gears mounted on the spindle at opposite sides of the middle bearing;   a locking pawl connected to the moving bracket and unidirectionally engages with the pair of ratchet gears; and   an elastic member connected between the moving bracket and the locking pawl to cause the locking pawl to engage with the pair of ratchet gears.   
     
     
         3 . The display tilting apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein each ratchet gear has a plurality of notches in an outer circumference, wherein the elastic member is to cause the locking pawl to engage with a following notch of the pair of ratchet gears during rotation of the moving bracket in the second direction, and wherein the elastic member is to lock the locking pawl against the pair of ratchet gears during rotation of the moving bracket in the first direction. 
     
     
         4 . The display tilting apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the spindle unrotatably supports the middle bearing, the pair of ratchet gears, and the pair of damping thrust bearings, and wherein the pair of damp thrust bearings are mounted on opposite ends of the spindle. 
     
     
         5 . The display tilting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of damping thrust bearings is a one-way bearing, and wherein the middle bearing is a two-way bearing. 
     
     
         6 . A display tilting apparatus comprising:
 a moving bracket to support a display monitor;   a fixed bracket; and   a tilt mechanism to pivotally connect the moving bracket to the fixed bracket via a pivot axis, wherein the tilt mechanism comprises:
 a spindle; 
 a middle bearing comprising:
 an inner ring fixedly mounted on the spindle; and 
 an outer ring, wherein the moving bracket is fixedly mounted on the outer ring; 
 
 a pair of ratchet gears fixedly mounted on the spindle at opposite sides of the middle bearing; 
 a locking pawl fixedly connected to the moving bracket and unidirectionally engages with the pair of ratchet gears; and 
 a pair of damping thrust bearings fixedly mounted on the spindle at opposite ends and coupled to the fixed bracket. 
   
     
     
         7 . The display tilting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the pair of damping thrust bearings are to provide a first frictional force to the moving bracket during pivoting of the moving bracket from a first rotational position to a second rotational position. 
     
     
         8 . The display tilting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the middle bearing is to provide a second frictional force to the moving bracket during pivoting of the moving bracket from a second rotational position to a first rotational position. 
     
     
         9 . The display tilting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the spindle, the middle bearing including the inner ring and the outer ring, and the pair of ratchet gears rotate together during pivoting of the moving bracket from a first rotational position to a second rotational position. 
     
     
         10 . The display tilting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein each of the pair of damping thrust bearings comprises:
 an inner ring mounted on the spindle; and   an outer ring, wherein the fixed bracket is mounted on the outer ring.   
     
     
         11 . The display tilting apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a bushing mounted on the spindle and disposed between a ratchet gear of the pair of ratchet gears and a damping thrust bearing of the pair of damping thrust bearings.   
     
     
         12 . The display tilting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the spindle unrotatably supports the inner ring of the middle bearing, the pair of ratchet gears, and the pair of damping thrust bearings, wherein the moving bracket is unrotatably mounted on the outer ring of the middle bearing, and wherein the fixed bracket is unrotatably mounted on the pair of damping thrust bearings. 
     
     
         13 . A display apparatus comprising:
 a display monitor;   a moving bracket to support the display monitor;   a fixed bracket pivotably connected to the moving bracket;   a display tilting apparatus to rotatably support the display monitor, wherein the display tilting apparatus comprises:
 a spindle; 
 a middle bearing mounted on the spindle and coupled to the moving bracket; 
 a pair of damping thrust bearings mounted on the spindle and coupled to the fixed bracket; and 
 a ratchet-pawl assembly mounted on the spindle and connected to the moving bracket, wherein the ratchet-pawl assembly is in a lock position and the pair of damping thrust bearings are to provide a first frictional force during rotation of the moving bracket in a first direction, and wherein the ratchet-pawl assembly is in an unlock position and the middle bearing is to provide a second frictional force during rotation of the moving bracket in a second direction. 
   
     
     
         14 . The display apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the spindle, the middle bearing, the ratchet-pawl assembly, and the pair of damping thrust bearings are to rotate along with the moving bracket in the first direction such that the pair of damping thrust bearings are to provide the first frictional force when the ratchet-pawl assembly is in the lock position. 
     
     
         15 . The display apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the middle bearing is to rotate along with the moving bracket in the second direction such that the middle bearing is to provide the second frictional force when the ratchet-pawl assembly is in the unlock position.